Government of Canada – Statistics Canada

Common menu bar

Breadcrumb trail

2006 Census Topic-based tabulations

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

Note

Additional information about this table is available in the Dimension Summary Box of the 'Selected demographic, cultural, educational, labour force and income characteristics (830)' variable.

Note: Data Quality - Relationship of Census Income Estimates to the National Accounts and Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics

Census income estimates of aggregate income in 2005 were compared to similar personal income estimates from the national accounts. After adjustments to the personal income estimates for differences in concepts and coverage, the census estimate of aggregate income in 2005 from comparable sources was 1.2% lower than the national accounts estimate. As in the past, census estimates for some income components and for some provinces compared more favourably than for others.

Census estimates of aggregate wages and salaries, the largest component of income, were slightly higher (1.0%) than the national accounts estimates. This was partially offset by the difference (-7.8%) between the census estimates of aggregate self-employment income from both farm and non-farm self-employment and the adjusted national accounts figures. Overall, estimates of aggregate employment income or earnings were nearly identical (0.3% difference).

Census estimates of Old Age Security pensions and the Guaranteed Income Supplement were slightly lower (-1.4%), as they were for Canada/Quebec Pension Plan benefits (-0.9%), than adjusted national accounts estimates. Employment Insurance benefits reported in the census were smaller by 6.1%. Census estimates of aggregate child benefits were 2.0% higher than the adjusted national accounts estimates. Census estimates of other government transfer payments, which include such items as social welfare benefits, provincial income supplements to seniors, veterans' pensions and GST/HST/QST refunds, were significantly below (-39.2%) the estimates from the national accounts. Overall, census estimates of aggregate income from all government transfer payments were lower by 12.0%. The census estimate of aggregate investment income in 2005 was slightly lower (-2.7%) than the comparable national accounts estimate. This is a significant improvement when compared to previous census comparisons.

Census income statistics were also compared with similar statistics from the annual Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID). SLID estimates reflect adjustments made for population undercoverage, while census estimates do not include such an adjustment. This adjustment contributes to census estimates showing fewer income recipients (-2.1%) and earners (-1.4%) than SLID estimates. However, due to higher average amounts, census estimates of aggregate earnings are 2.8% higher than the SLID estimate, while the census estimate of aggregate total income of individuals is 2.3% higher. Most of the observed provincial differences were considered acceptable in the light of sampling errors in the Survey. The all-person low income prevalence rates for Canada (excluding the Territories) were almost identical in both sources for the before-tax measure at 15.3% and only slightly higher (0.6 percentage points) in census than SLID for the after-tax rate.

Note: Data quality - Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux)

When comparing the census results to those of the 2001 Census, it appears that there is some overestimation of persons reporting Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) in British Columbia and, as a result, also at the Canada level. Although it affects a relatively small population, it is best to apply caution when analysing the census data for Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) in these geographies.

For more information on factors that may explain such variances in census data, such as response errors and processing errors, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Appendix B Data quality, sampling and weighting, confidentiality and random rounding.

Note: Broad occupational category A - Management occupations

Census data for occupation groups in Broad occupational category A - Management occupations should be used with caution. Some coding errors were made in assigning the appropriate level of management, e.g., senior manager as opposed to middle manager, and in determining the appropriate area of specialization or activity, e.g., a manager of a health care program in a hospital as opposed to a government manager in health policy administration. Some non-management occupations have also been miscoded to management due to confusion over titles such as program manager and project manager. Data users may wish to use data for management occupations in conjunction with other variables such as Income, Age and Education.

Note: Comparability of 2006 Place of work data

Working at home can be measured in different ways. In the census, the 'Worked at home' category includes persons who live and work at the same physical location, such as farmers, teleworkers and work camp workers. In addition, the 2006 Census Guide instructed persons who worked part of the time at home and part of the time at an employer's address to indicate that they 'Worked at home' if most of their time was spent working at home (e.g., three days out of five).

Other Statistics Canada surveys such as the General Social Survey, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, and the Workplace and Employee Survey also collect information on working at home. However, the survey data are not directly comparable to the census data since the surveys ask respondents whether they did some or all of their paid work at home, whereas the census asks them where they usually worked most of the time. Consequently, census estimates on work at home are lower than survey estimates.

The place-of-work question has remained in virtually the same format in each census since 1971. However, in 1996, the category 'No fixed workplace address' replaced 'No usual place of work.' In 1996, the census questionnaire was modified by adding a check box for the 'No fixed workplace' response category. In previous censuses, respondents were asked to write 'No usual place of work' in the address fields. It is believed that previous censuses have undercounted the number of persons with 'No fixed workplace address.'

Annexations, incorporations and amalgamations of municipalities could create some difficulties when comparing spatial units and structures which change over time.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue number 92-566-XWE.

Note: Definition of Place of work status

Refers to the place of work of non-institutional residents 15 years of age and over who worked at some time since January 1, 2005. The variable usually relates to the individual's job held in the week prior to enumeration. However, if the person did not work during that week but had worked at some time since January 1, 2005, the information relates to the job held longest during that period.

Respondent-completed responses:

Worked at home - Persons whose job is located in the same building as their place of residence, persons who live and work on the same farm, building superintendents and teleworkers who spend most of their work week working at home.

Worked outside Canada - Persons who work at a location outside Canada. This can include diplomats, Armed Forces personnel and other persons enumerated abroad. This category also includes recent immigrants who may not currently be employed, but whose job of longest duration since January 1, 2005 was held outside Canada.

No fixed workplace address - Persons who do not go from home to the same workplace location at the beginning of each shift. Such persons include building and landscape contractors, travelling salespersons, independent truck drivers, etc.

Worked at the address specified below - Persons who are not included in the categories described above and who report to the same (usual) workplace location at the beginning of each shift are included here. Respondents are asked to provide the street address, city, town, village, township, municipality or Indian reserve, province or territory and postal code of their workplace. If the full street address was not known, the name of the building or nearest street intersection could be substituted.

Teleworkers who spend less than one-half of their workweek working at their home office are asked to report the full address of their employer. Persons whose workplace location varied, but who reported regularly to an employer's address at the beginning of each shift, are asked to report the full address of the employer.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue number 92-566-XWE.

Note: Description of the Profile of official-language groups (Mother tongue)

The Profile of official-language groups gives a statistical overview of official-language groups in Canada for certain geographic areas. For each of these geographic areas, the profile gives counts of official-language populations for characteristics such as home language, knowledge of languages, marital status, ethnic origin, place of birth, period of immigration, mobility status, citizenship, highest certificate, diploma or degree, labour force activity, occupation, industry and income distribution. It is based on data collected from a 20% sample of households at the time of the 2006 Census.

The profile consists of two tables, both containing the same data variables, but differing by the definition of the language groups. In this table, the language groups are defined by the mother tongue of the respondents. The data for each language group are displayed in the columns of the initial view of the table. Characteristics are identified in the rows of the initial view of the table. For example, official-language groups are shown first by legal marital status, next by common-law status, and so on. The age groups and sex are both displayed as a dimension.

Language groups are defined as follows. The category 'English' includes respondents who reported English only or English and one non-official language. The category 'French' includes respondents who reported French only or French and one non-official language. The category 'English and French' includes respondents who reported English and French, with or without one non-official language. The 'Total' category includes all of the above, as well as respondents who reported one non-official language as their only mother tongue.

Footnotes

Language groups are defined as follows: 'English' includes respondents who reported English only or English and one non-official language; 'French' includes respondents who reported French only or French and one non-official language; 'English and French' includes respondents who reported English and French, with or without one non-official language.

'Total' category includes all groups mentioned as well as respondents who reported a non-official language as their only mother tongue.

Age Part A - Plain language definition Not applicable Part B - Detailed definition Refers to the age at last birthday (as of the census reference date, May 16, 2006). This variable is derived from Date of birth.

Legal marital statusPart A - Plain language definitionA person's conjugal status under the law (e.g., single, married, widowed). Legal marital status data are derived from the responses to Question 4 (Marital status) in the census questionnaires.Part B - Detailed definition Refers to the legal conjugal status of a person. The various responses are defined as follows: Never legally married (single) - Persons who have never married (including all persons less than 15 years of age) and persons whose marriage has been annulled and who have not remarried. Legally married (and not separated) - Persons whose spouse is living, unless the couple is separated or a divorce has been obtained. Separated, but still legally married - Persons currently married, but who are no longer living with their spouse (for any reason other than illness or work) and have not obtained a divorce. Divorced - Persons who have obtained a legal divorce and who have not remarried. Widowed - Persons who have lost their spouse through death and who have not remarried.

Common-law statusPart A - Plain language definition Not applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to persons who live together as a couple but who are not legally married to each other. These persons can be of the opposite sex or of the same sex.

Knowledge of official languagesPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to the ability to conduct a conversation in English only, in French only, in both English and French, or in neither English nor French.

Data on knowledge of official languagesAccording to studies on data certification, the 2006 Census statistics on knowledge of official languages could underestimate the category 'English and French' and overestimate the category 'French only,' particularly for the francophone population, but also for the whole population in general. More information on the subject is available in the Languages Reference Guide.

Data on knowledge of official languagesAccording to studies on data certification, the 2006 Census statistics on knowledge of official languages could underestimate the category 'English and French' and overestimate the category 'French only,' particularly for the francophone population, but also for the whole population in general. More information on the subject is available in the Languages Reference Guide.

The 2006 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' includes responses of 'Chinese' as well as all Chinese languages other than Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Chaochow (Teochow), Fukien, Hakka and Shanghainese. Data for the 'Chinese, n.o.s.' category in 2001 and 2006 are not directly comparable. The 2001 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' is equivalent to the sum of the 2006 categories 'Chinese, n.o.s.' and 'Chaochow (Teochow),' 'Fukien,' 'Shanghainese' and 'Taiwanese.'

This is a subtotal of all languages collected by the census that are not displayed separately here. For a full list of languages collected in the census, please refer to Appendix G in the 2006 Census Dictionary.

The 2006 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' includes responses of 'Chinese' as well as all Chinese languages other than Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Chaochow (Teochow), Fukien, Hakka and Shanghainese. Data for the 'Chinese, n.o.s.' category in 2001 and 2006 are not directly comparable. The 2001 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' is equivalent to the sum of the 2006 categories 'Chinese, n.o.s.' and 'Chaochow (Teochow),' 'Fukien,' 'Shanghainese' and 'Taiwanese.'

This is a subtotal of all languages collected by the census that are not displayed separately here. For a full list of languages collected in the census, please refer to Appendix G in the 2006 Census Dictionary.

Knowledge of non-official languagesPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to languages, other than English or French, in which the respondent can conduct a conversation.

The 2006 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' includes responses of 'Chinese' as well as all Chinese languages other than Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Chaochow (Teochow), Fukien, Hakka and Shanghainese. Data for the 'Chinese, n.o.s.' category in 2001 and 2006 are not directly comparable. The 2001 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' is equivalent to the sum of the 2006 categories 'Chinese, n.o.s.' and 'Chaochow (Teochow),' 'Fukien,' 'Shanghainese' and 'Taiwanese.'

This is a subtotal of all languages collected by the census that are not displayed separately here. For a full list of languages collected in the census, please refer to Appendix G in the 2006 Census Dictionary.

Refers to the relationship between a person's usual place of residence on Census Day and his or her usual place of residence one year earlier. A person is classified as a non-mover if no difference exists. Otherwise, a person is classified as a mover and this categorization is called Mobility status (1 year ago). Within the category of movers, a further distinction is made between non-migrants and migrants; this difference is called migration status.

Non-movers are persons who, on Census Day, were living at the same address as the one at which they resided one year earlier.

Movers are persons who, on Census Day, were living at a different address from the one at which they resided one year earlier.

Non-migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living at a different address, but in the same census subdivision (CSD) as the one they lived in one year earlier.

Migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were residing in a different CSD one year earlier (internal migrants) or who were living outside Canada one year earlier (external migrants).

Intraprovincial migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different CSD from the one at which they resided one year earlier, in the same province.

Interprovincial migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different CSD from the one at which they resided one year earlier, in a different province.

Refers to the relationship between a person's usual place of residence on Census Day and his or her usual place of residence five years earlier. A person is classified as a non-mover if no difference exists. Otherwise, a person is classified as a mover and this categorization is called Mobility status (5 years ago). Within the category of movers, a further distinction is made between non-migrants and migrants; this difference is called migration status.

Non-movers are persons who, on Census Day, were living at the same address as the one at which they resided five years earlier.

Movers are persons who, on Census Day, were living at a different address from the one at which they resided five years earlier.

Non-migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living at a different address, but in the same census subdivision (CSD) as the one they lived in five years earlier.

Migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were residing in a different CSD five years earlier (internal migrants) or who were living outside Canada five years earlier (external migrants).

Intraprovincial migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different CSD from the one in which they resided five years earlier, in the same province.

Interprovincial migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different CSD from the one in which they resided five years earlier, in a different province.

CitizenshipPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to the legal citizenship status of the respondent. Persons who are citizens of more than one country were instructed to provide the name of the other country(ies).

Includes persons who are stateless. Prior to the 2006 Census, this category was called 'Citizens of other countries'. The content of the category remains unchanged in 2006 compared with previous censuses.

Immigrants are persons who are, or have ever been, landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Some immigrants have resided in Canada for a number of years, while others are recent arrivals. Most immigrants are born outside Canada, but a small number were born in Canada. Includes immigrants who landed in Canada prior to Census Day, May 16, 2006.

Non-permanent residents are persons from another country who, at the time of the census, held a Work or Study Permit or who were refugee claimants, as well as family members living with them in Canada.

In this product, recent immigrants are immigrants who landed in Canada between January 1, 2001 and Census Day, May 16, 2006.

Immigrants are persons who are, or have ever been, landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Some immigrants have resided in Canada for a number of years, while others are recent arrivals. Most immigrants are born outside Canada, but a small number were born in Canada. Includes immigrants who landed in Canada prior to Census Day, May 16, 2006.

Period of immigrationPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to ranges of years based on the year of immigration question. Year of immigration refers to the year in which landed immigrant status was first obtained. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities.

Immigrants are persons who are, or have ever been, landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Some immigrants have resided in Canada for a number of years, while others are recent arrivals. Most immigrants are born outside Canada, but a small number were born in Canada. Includes immigrants who landed in Canada prior to Census Day, May 16, 2006.

Persons born outside Canada. For the most part, these are people who are now, or have ever been, landed immigrants in Canada. Also included in the first generation are a small number of people born outside Canada to parents who are Canadian citizens by birth. In addition, the first generation includes people who are non-permanent residents (defined as people from another country living in Canada on Work or Study Permits or as refugee claimants, and any family members living with them in Canada).

Persons born inside Canada with at least one parent born outside Canada. This includes (a) persons born in Canada with both parents born outside Canada and (b) persons born in Canada with one parent born in Canada and one parent born outside Canada (these persons may have grandparents born inside or outside Canada as well).

Aboriginal identityPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to those persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian, as defined by the Indian Act of Canada and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation.In 1991 and previous censuses, the Aboriginal population was defined using the ethnic origin question (ancestry). The 1996 Census included a question on the individual's perception of his/her Aboriginal identity.The question used in the 2006 and 2001 censuses is the same as the one used in 1996.This is a grouping of the total population into non-Aboriginal or Aboriginal population, with Aboriginal persons further divided into Aboriginal groups, based on their responses to three questions on the 2006 Census form.

Included in the Aboriginal identity population are those persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian, as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation.

Users should be aware that the counts for this item are more affected than most by the incomplete enumeration of certain Indian reserves and Indian settlements. The extent of the impact will depend on the geographic area under study. In 2006, a total of 22 Indian reserves and Indian settlements were incompletely enumerated by the census. The populations of these 22 communities are not included in the census counts.

Registered or Treaty IndianPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to those persons who reported they were registered under the Indian Act of Canada. Treaty Indians are persons who are registered under the Indian Act and can prove descent from a band that signed a treaty. Although there was a question in the 1991 Census on registration status, the layout of the 1996 question was somewhat different. In 1991, Question 16 on Registered Indians had two components. In the first part of the question, respondents were asked about their registration status, while the second part of the question dealt with band membership. The question used in 1996 asked only for registration or treaty status, while band membership was dealt with in a separate question.The wording of the question, starting in 1996, differs slightly from the one in previous censuses. Prior to 1996, the term 'treaty' was not included in the question. It was added in 1996 at the request of individuals from the Western provinces, where the term is more widely used.The 2006 Census question is the same as the one used in 1996 and 2001.

Registered or Treaty Indian: The expression 'Registered Indian' refers to those persons who reported they were registered under the Indian Act of Canada. Treaty Indians are persons who are registered under the Indian Act and can prove descent from a band that signed a treaty.

The Registered Indian counts in this table may differ from the administrative counts maintained by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, with the most important causes of these differences being the incompletely enumerated Indian reserves and Indian settlements as well as methodological and conceptual differences between the two sources.

Labour force activityPart A - Plain language definition Not applicable Part B - Detailed definition Refers to the labour market activity of the population 15 years of age and over in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006). Respondents were classified as Employed, Unemployed, or Not in the labour force. The labour force includes the employed and the unemployed.

Labour forcePart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to persons who were either employed or unemployed during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

EmployedPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionPersons who, during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006): (a) did any work at all for pay or in self-employment or without pay in a family farm, business or professional practice; (b) were absent from their job or business, with or without pay, for the entire week because of a vacation, an illness, a labour dispute at their place of work, or any other reasons.

UnemployedPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionPersons who, during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006), were without paid work or without self-employment work and were available for work and either: (a) had actively looked for paid work in the past four weeks; or (b) were on temporary lay-off and expected to return to their job; or (c) had definite arrangements to start a new job in four weeks or less.

Not in the labour forcePart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to persons who, in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006), were neither employed nor unemployed. It includes students, homemakers, retired workers, seasonal workers in an 'off' season who were not looking for work, and persons who could not work because of a long term illness or disability.

Participation ratePart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to the labour force in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006), expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over.

Participation rate = Labour force divided by Population 15 years of age and over (excluding institutional residents) X 100

The participation rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, geographic area, etc.) is the total labour force in that group, expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over, in that group.

Employment ratePart A - Plain language definition Not applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to the number of persons employed in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006), expressed as a percentage of the total population 15 years of age and over.

Employment rate = Employed divided by Population 15 years and over (excluding institutional residents) X 100

The employment rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, geographic area, etc.) is the number employed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over, in that group.

Unemployment ratePart A - Plain language definition Not applicablePart B - Detailed definition Refers to the unemployed expressed as a percentage of the labour force in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

Unemployment rate = Unemployed divided by Labour force X 100

The unemployment rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, geographic area, etc.) is the unemployed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the labour force in that group, in the week prior to enumeration.

Class of workerPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionThis variable classifies persons who reported a job into the following categories:a. persons who worked mainly for wages, salaries, commissions, tips, piece-rates, or payments 'in kind' (payments in goods or services rather than money);b. persons who worked mainly for themselves, with or without paid help, operating a business, farm or professional practice, alone or in partnership;c. persons who worked without pay in a family business, farm or professional practice owned or operated by a related household member; unpaid family work does not include unpaid housework, unpaid childcare, unpaid care to seniors and volunteer work.

The job reported was the one held in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration (May 16, 2006) if the person was employed, or the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005, if the person was not employed during the reference week. Persons with two or more jobs in the reference week were asked to provide information for the job at which they worked the most hours.

Labour forcePart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to persons who were either employed or unemployed during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

Occupation (based on the National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 [NOC-S 2006])Part A - Plain language definitionKind of work done by persons aged 15 and over. Occupation is based on the type of job the person holds and the description of his or her duties. The 2006 Census data on occupation are classified according to the National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 (NOC-S 2006). For comparisons with data from the 1991 and 1996 censuses, the variable Occupation (historical) should be used.Part B - Detailed definitionRefers to the kind of work persons were doing during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the main activities in their job. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration (May 16, 2006), the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.The 2006 Census occupation data are classified according to the National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 (NOC-S 2006). This classification is composed of four levels of aggregation. There are 10 broad occupational categories containing 47 major groups that are further subdivided into 140 minor groups. At the most detailed level, there are 520 occupation unit groups. Occupation unit groups are formed on the basis of the education, training, or skill level required to enter the job, as well as the kind of work performed, as determined by the tasks, duties and responsibilities of the occupation. For information on the NOC-S 2006, see the National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006, Catalogue no. 12-583-XIE.

Labour forcePart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to persons who were either employed or unemployed during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

Industry (based on the North American Industry Classification System [NAICS] 2002)Part A - Plain language definitionGeneral nature of the business carried out in the establishment where the person worked. The 2006 Census data on industry (based on the NAICS 2002) can be compared with data from Canada's NAFTA partners (United States and Mexico).Part B - Detailed definitionRefers to the general nature of the business carried out in the establishment where the person worked. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration (May 16, 2006), the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were required to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.

The 2006 Census industry data are produced according to the NAICS 2002. The NAICS provides enhanced industry comparability among the three North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) trading partners (Canada, United States and Mexico). This classification consists of a systematic and comprehensive arrangement of industries structured into 20 sectors, 103 subsectors and 328 industry groups. The criteria used to create these categories are similarity of input structures, labour skills or production processes used by the establishment. For further information on the classification, see North American Industry Classification System, Canada, 2002, Catalogue no. 12-501-XPE.

Labour forcePart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to persons who were either employed or unemployed during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

Place of work statusPart A - Plain language definitionClassification of people aged 15 or over who worked at some point between January 1, 2005 and May 16, 2006 (Census Day), according to whether they worked at home, worked outside Canada, had no fixed workplace address, or worked at a specific address.Part B - Detailed definitionRefers to the place of work of non-institutional residents 15 years of age and over who worked at some time since January 1, 2005. The variable usually relates to the individual's job held in the week prior to enumeration. However, if the person did not work during that week but had worked at some time since January 1, 2005, the information relates to the job held longest during that period.

Mode of transportationPart A - Plain language definitionMain means a person uses to travel between home and place of work (by car, on foot, on public transit, or by some other means).Part B - Detailed definitionRefers to the mode of transportation to work of non-institutional residents 15 years of age and over who worked at some time since January 1, 2005. Persons who indicate in the place of work question that they either had no fixed workplace address, or specified a usual workplace address, are asked to identify the mode of transportation they usually use to commute from home to work. The variable usually relates to the individual's job in the week prior to enumeration. However, if the person did not work during that week but had worked at some time since January 1, 2005, the information relates to the job held longest during that period.

The 2006 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' includes responses of 'Chinese' as well as all Chinese languages other than Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Chaochow (Teochow), Fukien, Hakka and Shanghainese. Data for the 'Chinese, n.o.s.' category in 2001 and 2006 are not directly comparable. The 2001 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' is equivalent to the sum of the 2006 categories 'Chinese, n.o.s.' and 'Chaochow (Teochow),' 'Fukien,' 'Shanghainese' and 'Taiwanese.'

This is a subtotal of all languages collected by the census that are not displayed separately here. For a full list of languages collected in the census, please refer to Appendix G in the 2006 Census Dictionary.

The 2006 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' includes responses of 'Chinese' as well as all Chinese languages other than Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Chaochow (Teochow), Fukien, Hakka and Shanghainese. Data for the 'Chinese, n.o.s.' category in 2001 and 2006 are not directly comparable. The 2001 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' is equivalent to the sum of the 2006 categories 'Chinese, n.o.s.' and 'Chaochow (Teochow),' 'Fukien,' 'Shanghainese' and 'Taiwanese.'

This is a subtotal of all languages collected by the census that are not displayed separately here. For a full list of languages collected in the census, please refer to Appendix G in the 2006 Census Dictionary.

Hours spent doing unpaid houseworkPart A - Plain language definition Number of hours that the person spent doing housework, maintaining the house or doing yard work without getting paid for doing so. For example, this includes time spent preparing meals, mowing the lawn, or cleaning the house, for oneself or for relatives, friends or neighbours. The time spent on this activity is divided into blocks of hours (None, Less than 5 hours, 5 to 14 hours, 15 to 29 hours, 30 to 59 hours, and 60 hours or more). Only hours spent on the activity during the week before Census Day (May 7 to 13, 2006) are counted.Part B - Detailed definition Refers to the number of hours persons spent doing unpaid housework, yard work or home maintenance in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006). It includes hours spent doing unpaid housework for members of one's own household, for other family members outside the household, and for friends or neighbours.

Unpaid housework does not include volunteer work for a non-profit organization, a religious organization, a charity or community group, or work without pay in the operation of a family farm, business or professional practice.

Hours spent looking after children, without payPart A - Plain language definitionNumber of hours that the person spent looking after children without getting paid for doing so. For example, this includes time spent taking care of one's own children or looking after the children of relatives, friends or neighbours. The time spent on this activity is divided into blocks of hours (none, less than 5 hours, 5 to 14 hours, 15 to 29 hours, 30 to 59 hours, and 60 hours or more). Only hours spent on the activity during the week before Census Day (May 7 to 13, 2006) are counted.Part B - Detailed definitionRefers to the number of hours persons spent looking after children without pay. It includes hours spent providing unpaid child care for members of one's own household, for other family members outside the household, for friends or neighbours in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

Unpaid child care does not include volunteer work for a non-profit organization, a religious organization, a charity or community group, or work without pay in the operation of a family farm, business or professional practice.

Hours spent providing unpaid care or assistance to seniorsPart A - Plain language definitionNumber of hours that the person spent providing care or assistance to elderly people without getting paid for doing so. This includes time spent giving personal care to an elderly relative, helping elderly neighbours with their shopping, and so on. The time spent on this activity is divided into blocks of hours (None, Less than 5 hours, 5 to 9 hours, 10 to 19 hours, and 20 hours or more). Only hours spent on the activity during the week before Census Day (May 7 to 13, 2006) are counted.Part B - Detailed definitionRefers to the number of hours persons spent providing unpaid care or assistance to seniors of one's own household, to other senior family members outside the household, and to friends or neighbours in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

Unpaid care or assistance to seniors does not include volunteer work for a non-profit organization, religious organization, charity or community group, or work without pay in the operation of a family farm, business or professional practice.

'Highest certificate, diploma or degree' refers to the highest certificate, diploma or degree completed based on a hierarchy which is generally related to the amount of time spent 'in-class'. For postsecondary completers, a university education is considered to be a higher level of schooling than a college education, while a college education is considered to be a higher level of education than in the trades. Although some trades requirements may take as long or longer to complete than a given college or university program, the majority of time is spent in on-the-job paid training and less time is spent in the classroom.

Census questions relating to education changed substantially between 2001 and 2006, principally to reflect developments in Canada's education system. These changes improved the quality of data and provided more precise information on the level of educational attainment as well as fields of study.

However, users should be aware that changes to the education portion of the 2006 Census questionnaire have affected the comparability of some 2006 Census data with data from previous censuses. More information on the historical comparability of specific categories of 'Highest certificate, diploma or degree' is available in the Education Reference Guide, 2006 Census, catalogue number 97-560-GWE2006003.

'High school certificate or equivalent' includes persons who have graduated from a secondary school or equivalent. Excludes persons with a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree. Examples of postsecondary institutions include community colleges, institutes of technology, CEGEPs, private trade schools, private business colleges, schools of nursing and universities.

'College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma' replaces the category 'Other non university certificate or diploma' in previous censuses. This category includes accreditation by non degree-granting institutions such as community colleges, CEGEPs, private business colleges and technical institutes.

The overall quality of the 'Highest certificate, diploma or degree' variable from the 2006 Census is acceptable. However, users of the 'University certificate or diploma below the bachelor level' category should know that an unexpected growth in this category was noted compared to the 2001 Census.

In fact, in the 2001 Census, 2.5% of respondents aged 15 years or over declared such a diploma, compared to 4.4% in 2006, representing 89% growth. This phenomenon was not found in other sources like the Labour Force Survey.

We recommend users interpret the 2006 Census results for this category with caution.

For more information on factors that may explain such variances in census data, such as response errors and processing errors, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Appendix B: Data quality, sampling and weighting, confidentiality and random rounding.

More information is available in the Education Reference Guide, 2006 Census, catalogue number 97-560-GWE2006003.

Questions pertaining to university degrees attained in 2006 (for example bachelor's degrees or master's degrees) were similar to those asked in 2001. Data for the university categories (bachelor's degree through to earned doctorate) are comparable over time.

Aboriginal ancestryPart A - Plain language definitionNot applicablePart B - Detailed definitionRefers to those persons who reported at least one Aboriginal ancestry (North American Indian, Métis or Inuit) to the ethnic origin question. 'Ethnic origin' refers to the ethnic or cultural origins of the respondent's ancestors.'Aboriginal ancestry' was referred to as 'Aboriginal origin' prior to the 2006 Census. The content of the variable remains unchanged in 2006 compared with previous censuses.

Refers to those persons who reported at least one Aboriginal ancestry (North American Indian, Métis or Inuit) to the ethnic origin question. 'Ethnic origin' refers to the ethnic or cultural origins of a person's ancestors. Additional information on ethnic origin can be obtained from the 2006 Census Dictionary. 'Aboriginal ancestry' was referred to as 'Aboriginal origin' prior to the 2006 Census. The content of the variable remains unchanged in 2006 compared with the previous censuses.

The count for 'Total population by ethnic origin (single and multiple responses)' represents the total population of Canada, excluding institutional residents. It also represents the sum of persons who reported single ethnic origins and multiple ethnic origins in the census.

The count for 'Total population - Single responses' represents the total number of persons who reported only one ethnic origin in the census. This total is greater than the sum of single responses in this table because not all ethnic origins are shown in this profile.

The count for 'Total population - Multiple responses' represents the total number of persons who reported more than one ethnic origin in the census. This total is less than the sum of multiple responses of each group because respondents reporting more than one ethnic origin are counted in the multiple responses categories for each of the groups they reported. For example: a respondent reporting Scottish and English origins is counted once under the 'Total Population - Multiple responses' category. However, the same respondent is counted once in the 'Scottish - Multiple responses' category and counted once in the 'English - Multiple responses' category.